THE EFFECTS OF DIFFERENT FERTILIZER APPLICATIONS ON Acer rubrum `AUTUMN BLAZE' AND Acer rubrum `RED SUNSET'ON POT-IN-POT NURSERY PRODUCTION

Abstract

Kentucky West Nursery Cooperative, producers of pot-in-pot trees, needed recommendations on slow-release fertilizer applications due to regional environmental influences affecting production. Murray State University established a pot-in-pot tree nursery to research these influences in 2004. Two different fertilizer applications in three different treatments were tested on one-year old bare-root whips of Acer rubrum `Red Sunset' and `Autumn Blaze'. These trees were planted in 100% pine bark in 15-gallon pots and placed in the sockets with a complete random split-block design. Drip irrigation by spray stakes watered each pot. Nursery floor was kept clean by landscape fabric. New growth was pruned as needed to keep the trees within nursery standards. Tree calipers were measured on 1 Apr. and 1 Dec. 2004 at the beginning and end of growth. Leaves for chlorophyll readings were randomly selected to measure nitrogen uptake in late summer. Measurements were analyzed by SAS 9.1 and results found no significant differences among the treatments either in caliper increase or in chlorophyll levels (SAS, 2002). This experiment recommends a treatment using one application of slow-release fertilizer, versus split or additional applications, provides equal, quality growth of Acer rubrum `Autumn Blaze' and `Red Sunset'. The information gathered will direct fertilizer applications for KWNC and reduce their labor costs.